In mid-October 2025, a delegation of the Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine (LDLU) conducted another advocacy visit to the Republic of Korea. The organization was represented by Mariia Makarovych, Head of the East Asia Office, and Oleksandr Shyn, Senior Adviser on Pacific Affairs.
During the visit, the delegation held meetings with representatives of South Korean political, human rights, media, and civil society circles, as well as engaged in communication with the Ukrainian community in South Korea. The discussions primarily focused on security cooperation between Ukraine and South Korea, particularly in the context of the DPRK’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The delegation also visited the North Korean Human Rights Exhibition Hall – a museum dedicated to human rights violations committed by the North Korean regime, which is administered by our colleagues from the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights.
Among others, the delegation met with:
- Thae Yong-ho (태영호) – Secretary-General of the Advisory Council on Peaceful Unification of Korea (2024-2025), Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea (2020-2024), and a leading member of the People Power Party (국민의힘);
- Oh Yong-hee – Director-General of the International Relations Bureau of the People Power Party;
- The Daily NK team – a leading South Korean media outlet specializing in analysis of developments in the DPRK;
- The FNF Korea team – the Seoul office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, which actively studies issues related to military cooperation between the DPRK and the Russian Federation.
Key findings of the visit:
- The development of security relations between Ukraine and South Korea is a matter of mutual interest for both sides;
- There is a noticeable lack of systematic communication between Ukrainian and South Korean stakeholders;
- South Korea demonstrates a strong interest in expanding cooperation with Ukraine on DPRK-related issues;
- There is clear potential for institutional cooperation in the fields of security, analysis, media, and youth initiatives.
The Liberal Democratic League of Ukraine views the development of relations with South Korea as a strategic priority for Ukraine’s public sector. In 2026, LDLU will continue to strengthen institutional partnerships with South Korean organizations, focusing on concrete projects in security and international communication.
The visit took place within the framework of the project “Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific: Building Institutional Bridges”, implemented with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
